From the Watchtower
by Jesus.Lives
Summary: Was she the worst judge of character ever? Andrea arrives back at the prison with Milton and Daryl and finds out the truth about Shane. Now she struggles with the choices she's made and vows to make better ones. Rick/Andrea with a sideline of a Daryl/Carol/Tyreese sandwich.
1. Homecoming

**A/N. **_Well, I just heard the news about TWD. Boo Glen Mazzara, yay renewal! _

_I really wish I knew what direction Glen wanted to take the show. It's too bad._

_I'm only half way through the chapter on my Beth/Carl story so if you want to see it, review and let me know. _

_I need to renew my spark.  
_

_But I decided to write about another favorite of mine, Rick/Andrea,_

_ which I do hope they go with in the series, despite Andrea being a ho of __late._**_  
_**

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**From the Watchtower  
**

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"So..." Andrea looked around the group in the middle of the cell block. It was obvious that there was no Shane holed up in the prison with them. No Lori. No T-Dog. This was it. This was who made it out alive. Some of them surprised her for being there. Beth, the girl who tried to commit suicide, proved her will to live was much like Andrea's own. Hershel now with one leg was apparently a fighter too. Andrea had been certain Shane knew what to do to survive. It turned out she was wrong... but she'd been wrong about a lot of things lately.

Milton looked lost. He'd helped them escape Woodbury and they took him with them. He took off his glasses and rubbed at them on his shirt. One lens had been smashed but he still wore them, it wasn't like he had a lot of other options. No optometrists in an apocalypse, not even in Woodbury. Daryl wasn't surprised at the current headcount so no one must have died since he'd been away from them. He was more concerned about Carol than anyone else however. He kept staring at her, mouth twitching and shifting on the spot.

"Lori?"

It had to be recent. There was a baby there and it was unlikely they just picked up a baby on the road. "Yeah." Rick ran a hand through his hair. "A few weeks back." Or something like that. Andrea knew how time could run together in this world lately.

"Giving birth to Judith." Carl added, voice oddly level. "I was there."

"Oh." What could you say to that? It was horrible but everyone died eventually, and so many others had fallen too. "Shane?" Her voice quaked more than she would like. Betraying something to the surprise and sorrow she felt. Was it wrong of her to feel the smallest bit more upset over Shane than Lori? She was shocked hearing the news of both them and T-Dog but she somehow thought it was wrong to not care about all of them the same, but yet felt it anyway.

The other survivors glanced among themselves, excluding the few newcomers that had no idea who they were talking about.

"Was it at the farm?" Andrea pressed when nobody would answer her.

"Shane tried to kill Rick." Maggie was the one to tell her. Glenn had a hand on her arm as she stepped forward. Everyone else seemed to look down upon hearing it spoken aloud.

The news hit Andrea like a burst of cold water. What the hell was wrong with her? Phillip..._ the Governor_... and Shane? Was she the worst judge of people in the world (well, what was left of it)?

"And T-Dog?" Her voice was shaking now. She couldn't get how stupid she'd been out of her head. Shane - she thought he was so in control of it all. He made the right calls, he knew how to survive, he was a bit bull headed but so what? He ended up being a psychopath. The Governor seemed to have it all under control too. Psychopath.  
There must have been something seriously mentally deranged inside of her that attracted her to such psychos. Had this world changed her or had she always been such a poor judge of character?

"He died saving me."

Andrea gaped at Carol. Even T-Dog had honor. Dale... He knew what Shane was like, he had known and she'd dismissed him. She felt ashamed thinking of what she'd done, with whom and Dale at the same time.

"Anyway, so you guys are certain that this Governor is going to seek out the prison?" Rick took the lead, looking between Andrea and Daryl who told him of the threat almost as soon as they were let through the gates.

Daryl nodded. "That's what Merle was sayin' before he bit it." Bit the dust that was. If it wasn't for Merle they never would have gotten out alive.

"What are we going to do?" Glenn asked Rick, who was back in charge of things.

"We're going to fortify the place, the best we can. Defend what's ours." They didn't want to run any more but time would tell if it was the right call. Andrea had to trust it was. She'd trusted all the wrong people, it was time for her to put some trust in Rick. Dale trusted Rick. She needed to stop herself from making such bad judgement calls in any way possible.

"Have you found weapons here?" Andrea asked.

"We're working on it. We haven't cleared the whole prison yet."

"Then that should be on the list for tomorrow." Michonne nodded at the suggestion. She'd been eying Andrea suspiciously ever since they entered the prison. Andrea was glad to say something Michonne agreed with. It wasn't forgiveness but it was something.

"Then we have a plan?" The big guy at the back asked, one of the newcomers that seemed to be the take-charge type.

"Would seem that way," Daryl shot back somewhat condescendingly at him.

People dispersed. Andrea followed Rick.

"What can I do to help?" She asked.

"You just got back and you want to help?"

"Can't think of anything better to do, supposing this place doesn't have cable or a hot tub."

Rick gave a ghost of a smile. "You can keep watch tonight if you're willing."

"Great." The more excuse Andrea had to keep away from Michonne at the moment, the better and this would work just fine.

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**You know the drill - read, review. **

**Give me general feedback on how happy you are that there's a fourth season. **

**All love is appreciated.**


	2. First Watch

**A/N.**

**Sandwich Shop Mayo,**_ challenge accepted**.**_

**MissyMoo83, **_Rick is the best... well, after Carl._

**bluecrush611, **_it better go on for years and years. ^^_

**6747, **_yes and for a good reason too._

**deelove1 & idannietg, **_thank you!_

_.  
_

_Now... I have something to ask. The Governor will be ambushing in 3 chapters.  
_

_I have choices to make and so do you.  
_

_At least one and probably two of these are going to die.  
_

_Who do you want to see survive?  
_

_The options are:  
_

_**Beth, Maggie, Glenn and Carol.**  
_

_Happy deciding!  
_

_.  
_

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**From the Watchtower  
**

* * *

Andrea had been introduced the last surviving prisoner and the new people. Tyreese was spending a lot of time talking to Carol, but the others kept their distance. Andrea had apologized to Michonne and they had reached some sort of understanding. They weren't back to where they were. Andrea had made some pretty big mistakes defending Phillip but hopefully Michonne would forgive and forget sooner rather than later.

She offered to keep watch later that night and went out on the watchtower, cold breeze numbing her skin. She looked out the scope of her rifle. It was going to be a long night.

"Hey."

Andrea turned her head as Rick came up the ladder and stood beside her.

"Hi stranger." It was hard to be light-hearted with him after all they'd been through. He was probably still grieving for his wife. She was stuck kicking herself for all her mistakes. Part of her didn't believe that she deserved to be back here with the group but that was a small part that she was trying to actively ignore.

"You could have waited a night before taking post. Get some rest."

She gave him a weak smile. "Thanks. But I'd rather be doing something." It reminded her of how Phillip hadn't let her do anything, purposely keeping her in her place. Just remembering that turned her off ever resting again. She'd rest when she was dead.

"Your choice."

Damn right it was. Andrea glanced over at him. It was good to be trusted again. Rick was a better man than most and Shane had tried to get rid of him. She still couldn't get over that. How could she have been so wrong?

"So what's this new guy like?" Rick spoke again. She had wanted to bring up Shane and what happened but didn't know how to start the conversation. It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about.

"Milton? He's a scientist. Sensitive. Not much of a fighter." She'd seen him kill one walker on the way back and it seemed like his first kill. He was more normal than most though. Andrea remembered the sick thrill she got out of killing walkers and how Phillip had told her it was a human response. Now it felt like that was another lie. Maybe Milton was the normal one. Maybe there really was something seriously wrong with her. "Philli-the Governor was using him to do experiments on walkers. To see how human they really are." He was doing it for his daughter Penny apparently but Andrea didn't want to tell that story yet.

Rick didn't appear amused. "And are they? Human?"

"I was there when he conducted his experiment but it didn't work. I had to kill his subject."

"I'm betting that's a no then."

"Yeah..." They stood in silence for a while and Andrea wondered when he was going to leave. She wanted to be alone with her self pity for a while but when he didn't go she frowned at him. "Look, I know Michonne might tell you so I'll come out with it. I was with the Governor when I was there. Seeing him. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. It had been such a long time before I felt safe and..." the words kept tumbling out of her mouth. "It was the wrong call to make. I didn't realize what a psychopath he was until I saw Daryl and after what happened with Michonne I just put two and two together."

Andrea's shoulders stiffened as she felt Rick's arm go around her. It was meant to be comforting but it just made her think of how she messed up with Shane as well. He gave her shoulders a light squeeze and then let her go again. Immediately she missed the absence of his arm when the cold wind blew into her again.

"I doubt there are any of us that haven't done something we regret these days."

Andrea hesitated. That wasn't the only thing she regretted. There was a deep pit in her stomach as she debated about saying more. "I slept with Shane. Before everything at the farm went down." She felt like she needed to confess and Rick was the only one she felt comfortable confessing to. There was something about Rick, something she couldn't help but trust. She wanted him to know just how stupid she'd been.

He was speechless for a moment. She continued. "I guess I've been making all the wrong choices. Look, I know I don't have to apologize to you for my poor judge of character but I'm sorry."

"You don't." Shane. That was in all honesty the last person that Rick ever wanted to discuss after what happened in Woodbury but it would probably keep coming up until he dealt with it. Rick looked out over the horizon - there wasn't much to be seen. Every so often they could hear the moan of a walker but that was the only signs of anything going on out there.

"Lori did too. With Shane." Andrea stared at him again, shocked. She swore she heard his voice crack. "They..." He couldn't vocalise what they did so he cut himself off. "That's why he tried to shoot me."  
Now Andrea really felt stupid. "Oh..." What else could she say? "Rick..." Her heart dropped into her stomach again.

"I never knew."

"No one did. No one does. It was supposed to be a secret." And now they were both dead. Secrets were to be taken to the grave in this new world.

"I'm really sorry." Part of that sorry was for sleeping with Shane too.

"We have other things to worry about now." Like the other psychopath that was coming to get them. They had to concentrate on that.

"Let him come. I'll sniper him from here. It's the least I can do."

"Yes it is." He smirked at her. He wasn't going to pussyfoot around her mistakes and she appreciated him for that. Andrea smiled back and ran her hand over her gun. This was the most relaxed she felt in weeks. A hundred times more soothing than being in bed with Phillip and anything else she did in Woodbury.

It was like she was home again.

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**You know the drill - read, review. **

**And decide who is on the chopping block when the Governor comes.**


	3. Revelations

**A/N.**

_Looks to me like Carol is the least popular._

_I have this creepy feeling that they're going to actually off someone like Glenn to throw everyone off.  
_

_But I loves Glenn.  
_

_.  
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**From the Watchtower  
**

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The next night Rick was standing guard and Andrea decided to repay the favor. She climbed up and stood beside him. He nodded in her direction but said nothing for some time.

He didn't need to speak, there was something wordless going on between them. A mutual exchange just being side by side.

Andrea was changing her loyalties. She was going to be loyal to Rick. She was no longer going to be swayed by anyone else that came along promising to offer her security or a way out. She'd been fooled twice and now she was drawing the line. Rick was it. She was putting her trust in one place for as long as she could.

"Michonne's a good person." Andrea broke the silence this time.

"I don't doubt that she is."

"She took care of me for a long time when we were out there. I got sick. She didn't give up on me. I told her to leave me and she never did." Andrea grimaced. She let down everyone that had been good to her. Dale... Michonne... even Rick by sleeping with people that want to kill him.

"That's good. We're going to need that kind of loyalty when it all goes to hell."

"Hasn't it already?" Look at where they were. They were the few survivors left. Everything looked grim.

"There are good days and there are bad days."

Andrea admired him for saying that. It was hard to see the good days and yet he kept fighting on. It never seemed like he'd lost the will to live but she wouldn't blame him if he did. Something stirred inside of her. It wasn't the same admiration she'd had for Shane and the Governor. That admiration was admiration of strength and determination. With Rick she admired that good inside of him, that spark.

He'd always been attractive but he'd always been off the market unlike the ones she previously went for. Now was the first time that she was probably really paying attention and it made her feel guilty that it was because Lori was now gone that she noticed that something special about Rick.

She put a hand on his arm gently. "I'm glad I made it back to you." You, inclusive of all of them there at the prison.

"I'm glad too." It was always good to find someone that they thought was dead to be alive again. Except in the case of Merle of course.

_Was it too early to kiss him_? Andrea chided the thought that entered into her head. They were up here supposed to be on watch. She couldn't risk it in these circumstances. And after all she'd been through she knew the dangers of her acting on feelings blindly and too quickly. It blew up in her face time and time again. He was still grieving for his dead wife and here she was half-thinking about jumping his bones. She felt ashamed of herself for even considering... poor Lori. That poor little baby that was his responsibility. But he was ruggedly handsome with that facial hair. She swallowed as she caught herself staring.

"I was out there and I really wasn't sure if any of you got out alive. It was crazy. One second we're alone out there and then the next there's a herd of walkers entering the farm."

"It was Shane, if he hadn't..."

"He fired a shot?"

"Yeah. Heard it all the way to the next town. That must have attracted them."

There was that guilt at sleeping with Shane again. "Wow. What a dick." Andrea found herself saying and then she laughed. It felt good to say. He was a dick, that was the best word for it. And a lighthearted way of putting the fact that he screwed them all royally for his petty vengeance on Rick.

Andrea was surprised when Rick chuckled too. "That sounds like a good way to put it."

They shared smiles again and Andrea felt that pang grow stronger. She noticed now it was nothing like with the others. The others were all admiration, all about being wanted and safe. But with Rick it was a genuine feeling of butterflies in the stomach. It was new and fresh and it was best if she ignored it. She didn't need this. Not with the lack of stability in this world.

* * *

**Moving slowly.**

**Hey, what's with the lack of Rickdrea on here?  
**

**I think even Rick/Daryl have more fics.  
**

**But Daryl/everybody he can possibly be shipped with has a billion times more fics than anyone else in the fandom.  
**

**Great as Daryl is, he seems kinda overrated to me.  
**

**Thoughts?  
**


	4. Findings

**A/N.**

_Just a short update.  
_

_.  
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**From the Watchtower  
**

* * *

They found the weapon stores. Just in time too because little did they know that they were one day away from the Governor's strike on them.

"We hit the jackpot." Glenn announced when they'd dumped bags full in the cell block.

"I know. Carl's already picking out what he wants. It's like it's Christmas." Rick told them.

"I know my Christmases were never complete without a spending spree at guns and ammo." Andrea joked, smiling at Rick and waiting for that magic that occurred when he smiled back at her.

"Should we put on the suits? To be ready for when they come?" Maggie was concerned. An attack could be imminent. That's what they'd heard.

"That's probably a good idea."

"Milton, do you know how many people he's going to bring?" Andrea turned to the guy hanging back, spectacles in hand again.

"It depends," Milton was clearly shocked at being asked, he squinted, trying to see Andrea without his glasses. "I was with him before, there were about ten of that went to clear out the army officers that were with the guy from the helicopter."

"What?" This was the first Andrea had heard of it. "What do you mean 'clear out'? You mean he killed them? He told me the walkers got to them first."

"No. We... they killed them. Took their supplies."

"Why the hell would he do that?"

"He said it was to protect us but I don't think that was it. You know, he lied... a lot."

"That asshole is going down." Daryl said, loading up a huge bazooka like weapon. Daryl was a little more on edge than usual. Andrea had heard him having some strong words with Carol and she thought she knew why. Carol had been getting very close to Tyreese. The newcomer would find any excuse to touch her, helping her out with a weapon or guiding her about the place. It was probably inevitable that Daryl was going to punch his lights out. Axel might get in on that too, he'd been hanging around Carol too, almost obsessively. It seemed like Carol had gotten herself a fan club. Andrea wondered at the back of her mind what Ed would think of all the attention and couldn't help but smile inwardly at it.

"I want to be the one to do it." Andrea said, mind going back to the Governor. And she did. It was personal. He had it coming for screwing her and then screwing over her friends.

"Get in line." Michonne hissed at her from between clenched teeth. It was the first Michonne announced her presence at all.

"Whoever has the opportunity should go for it. We want to take him out, it doesn't matter who does it." Rick was the voice of reason yet again.

That didn't stop Daryl, Michonne and Andrea from having private fantasies about taking out the Governor themselves. The sooner they got this over with the better as long as the man who calls himself the Governor suffered a long and painful death.

* * *

**Kind of a bridging chapter.**

**But yay! Other Rickdrea fans. And the one who corrected me that it's Andrick... isn't Kirkman the one who coined Rickdrea?  
**

**I'll go on his authority.  
**


	5. Precursor

**A/N.**

_Another short update.  
_

_.  
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**From the Watchtower  
**

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Something in the air had changed. There was an ambush coming, everyone had accepted that now. Andrea stood beside Rick in the dark. She wasn't afraid, but she was anxious. What would be the price of vengeance?

"Do you think we're ready?" She asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be."

"So it's come to this." From running for their lives to war. Andrea didn't have to be a pacifist to realize how idiotic this all was.

"It's come to this."

Her hand lingered near his but she didn't make the move. "Well, we've made it this far." She shrugged instead.

"That we did."

Andrea was getting annoyed he didn't offer her any more about all this. "You know, you could say something more about it. Offer some sort of commentary."

"I could." He said noncommitally.

"Yes, you could." Pointed out Andrea again, leaning her head to one side and huffing out some air.

"I'm not afraid of dying. Becoming one of them. Wouldn't know any better if I did." His voice was husky, thoughtful and Andrea had to stop herself from getting distracted by it. "How's that?"

"It's an improvement." She smirked. "I don't want to let people like Philli- the Governor win. He doesn't deserve that."

"I don't think he deserves much." He replied in all honesty.

"True." Andrea thought about her next words and she realized she felt pity for the Governor. "I don't think anyone is really a winner in this life. He lost his family. I lost my sister. You lost your wife. Everyone loses."

Rick had seen that type of attitude in Andrea before, at the CDC. She wasn't questioning the point of going through this though. "Does that mean you're giving up?" There was a hint of irony in the way he said it. He knew she wasn't giving up but she was talking like she was questioning the point of living out this losing existence. It was so unlike the way Andrea was now.

"Hell no. I'm just making an observation." She waited a second and then turned to him. "Hey Rick?" She was a little apprehensive but didn't let it show.

"Yeah?"

She leaned in slowly, carefully and pressed her lips to his cheek. "Whatever happens, I'll be glad I'm on your side."  
She took that as her cue to exit. She had no more to say tonight. He could chew on that for a while.

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**Is it Feb yet?  
**

**Com'on hiatus!  
**


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